Doll construction



Aug. 4, 1953 v. A. PATTERSON DOLL cons-mucnon Filed June 4, 1951 Vivian A. Patterson INVEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 4, 1953 Vivian A. Patterson, Opelousas, La.

Application June 4, 1951, Serial No. 229,770

1 Claim. (Cl. 40-138) a costumed or suitably dressed dancing doll, an

instrumentality which may be properly and skillfully jolted on a suspension chain to perform, depending on the dexterity of the user, like a real or live dancer. On the other hand, novelty has to do with the unique skeleton framework which is the nucleus and essence of the over-all invention In carrying out the invention, a special skeleton framework has been evolved and produced, and this is distinct in that the salient components thereof are fashioned from highly sensitive and strangely responsive flat steel springs. By using some five such fiat springs and proportiom'ng and joining same in a unique fashion, a clever skeleton framework is thus brought into being.

Then, too, novelty is predicated, as implied, on a framework characterized by flexibly resilient fiat springs wherein the uppermost springs provide a satisfactory mount for a bored plastic or equivalent doll head, certain other portions serving to represent and function as the body and torso to accommodate garments and, in addition, functioning to represent quaking and shaking arms and legs, the latter preferably provided with artificial hands and artificial feet.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views;

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete or finished dancing doll constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention and showing the manner in which the same may be suspended and jiggled into action.

Figure 2 is a perspective view of the skeleton framework, that is, the structure with all of the accessories and accoutrements removed.

Figure 3 is a view in section and fragmentarily in elevation, showing the manner in which the bored head is mounted.

Attention is first directed to Figure 2, wherein the five flat spring members or components are shown without their complements. To begin with,

there is a body spring and this is denoted by the numeral 4 and it comprises an elongated fiat' metal, suitably flexible and resilient spring which is bowed or bent upon itself between its ends, as at E to define a curved bight portion, and is then fashioned into curvate side members 8-8 having convergin free end portions l0|ll brought together in crotch-forming relationship. These overlapped and abutting free end portions are actually secured between a pair of simple L-shaped clips [2 and [4 respectively; that is to say, the inner opposed parallel members I6 and I8 of the clips are arranged on opposite sides of the end portions ill-l0 and are riveted or otherwise rigidly secured thereto, as at 20. The remaining portions of the clips denoted by the numerals 2222 are rigidly riveted or otherwise secured, as at 24-24 to the upper ends of a pair of linearly straight flat springs 26 and 28 which constitute vibratory legs. The legs are not pivoted to the clips 24 but are rigid, and have the angular relationship depicted in the drawings. The rounded crown or bight portion of the loop 4 provides a satisfactory mount for the V-shaped unit 30 which actually is made up of a pair of additional flat springs of appropriate lengths, these springs being denoted by the numerals 32 and 34 and being substantially duplicate. The upper ends are brought together and riveted securely, as at 36. The intermediate portions are bowed and riveted as at 38-48 to said bight portion. The free ends of the last-named springs 32 and 34 depend and diverge away from each other and also away from the body portion of the loop, where they function as unique arms, the latter being denoted by the numerals 40-40. There is a suspension chain 42 provided and this is, in turn, provided with a finger ring 44 adapted to be held between the users fingers in a suitable manner for purposes of suspending the framework. It may be stated in this connection that the doll may be suspended in the air and floated about by properly maneuvering the chain; or the legs may be caused to pounce on a stationary base, such as a table top, springboard, chair or the like, to cause the entire unit to bound and rebound. That is to say, it is possible to produce the dancing activity by bouncing against a fixed surface or by jolting the springs into action in mid-air by a pendulous chain motion. The framework will be complemented in various ways to provide different doll effects. In the illustration shown at the left in Figure 1, the body spring or loop is substantially concealed within the confines of a suitable dress or garment 46. The sleeves of the dress cover the upper portions of the arms and the free ends of the arms are provided with plastic, permanently attached, artificial hands 48-48. In practice, these hands may be of suificient weight to cause the arms to jiggle and quake. The head, having a suitable head gear or hat, is denoted by the numeral 50, and this will, of course, vary in appearance in material and size. Mainly, the head will have a vertical bore o'r'passag'e 52 therethrough to ac commodate a portion of the chain 42 and also to accommodate the converging portions of the upper spring components 32 and 42: forming what may be called a neck 54, as best shown in Figure 3. The neck is simply jammed into the head, and

The lower 7 thus the head is pinned in place, ends of the legs 26 and 28 are provided with shoeequipped artificial feet 56--5B. Thus, we have a suitably clothed skeleton framework, a suspension chain, and with the elements of the framework made up of highly sensitive, easily responsive and vibratory spring elements.- Flat springs are thought to be much better than coil or other types of springs, especially in providing the factors of dance control.

Difierent users will cause the doll to dance in many and divers ways. For this reason, a description of the technique to be followedin manipulating the dollwill not be given.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

For use in constructing a hand suspended and dangled animated dancing doll, a prefabricated skeleton framework comprising a flexibly resilient 4 elongated fiat spring bent upon itself intermediate its ends and having free end portions brought together and secured to one another and providing an expansible and contractible loop-shaped body, said body being responsive to impulses imparted thereto by manual actuation, a pair of duplicate flexibly resilient fiat springs having corresponding ends converging and secured together and defining a V-shaped member, said flat springs serving essentially as vibratory arms and being secured intermediate their ends to the bi'ght ortion of said loop-shaped body with the latter thus projecting into the crotch provided between the converging ends of said arms, a suspension chain having one end secured between said converging end portions, a second pair of duplicate flexibly resilient flat springs, the latter being disposed in opposite relationship and performing as vibratoiy legs, and means connecting corresponding upper end portions of said legs to the lower end portion of said body.

VIVZAN A. PATTERSON References Cited in. the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 280,986 Wishard July 10, 1883 1,832,756 Atkins NOV. 17, 1931 2,044,949 Levy et al June '23, 1936' 2,109,422 Haughton Feb. 22, 1938 2,233,455 Steinhilber Apr. 15, 1941 2,474,236 Durbin June 28, 1949 

